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Tag Archives: drama

I’ll start with a side note. I saw the trailer for A Ghost Story about three times, I think two of which were at an AMC. And then the local AMCs collectively failed to ever show the film, or if they did it was for no more than a week or a day. When it was still showing in theaters outside my area, e.g. in LA, I went to one of the main AMCs to watch another film and was surprised to see a super-sized lobby cardboard poster display for the film. I inquired about it, and was told there were no plans to show the film.

A theater showing trailers and setting large promotional items on display for a movie seems only to make sense if said theater will at some point show the movie. But that’s indicative of numerous areas of mismanagement on the part of AMC. I went to a film lately and a couple of the seats had such a strong fecal odor I moved.

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I point out the AMC nonsense above because I felt like A Ghost Story, starring consummate actors Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara, was one of the more significant indies of the year, and given short shrift by the cinemas. Nonetheless, I was determined to watch it to consider among the films of 2017, so I did something that is rare for me these days: saw it at home.

The movie is intriguing, and certainly compelling — but falls short of providing that grand a-ha moment. In other words, I liked it despite a thin story. 7/10

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Note: This film is presented in a square (1.33:1) frame with rounded corners, for no particularly obvious or excellent reason. An affectation, perhaps, but in this case it does not distract from the movie — unlike in American Honey. I like a lot that A24 Films does, but the square frame trend I hope can be put to rest.

I still don’t know what Paul Thomas Anderson was thinking with Inherent Vice. As I wrote at the time, that film was so out of character for PT Anderson as to be unrecognizable. Phantom Thread represents, at least relatively speaking, a return to form. I say relatively speaking, because unlike his past projects, I doubt that this film will stick with me over the years so strongly — but only time will tell I suppose. The edginess of his earlier cinematic style seems missing, or at least transformed.

Still, Phantom Thread is a strong and lovely picture. The RT consensus:

It’s endlessly fascinating to watch the actor and artist behind the camera (sharers in the same creative obsession) negotiate a hard truce between art and life. Anderson is deliberate and cunning about revealing the secrets he’s sewn into the fabric of his spellbinder of a film. Taking full measure of Phantom Thread may require more than one viewing – a challenge any genuine movie lover will be eager to accept. Our advice for now: just sit back and behold.

Looking over all these reviews makes me think the film may stick with me more so than I am now thinking. Certainly, the performances are absolutely riveting — perhaps more so than any picture of the last year. For now, considered among the films of 2017: about on par with Lady Macbeth. 8/10

Sometimes it takes a true story to make the best movie of the year. This is one of those times. The first half absolutely soars. Once the movie shifts to “the incident,” it gets a little off track and bogs down, but is redeemed by the end.

Like a Michener account, and the disclaimer above speaks to this, there is a sense that is not necessarily the verbatim truth of everything exactly the way it happened — but boy it sure feels like it is. It really puts you there — and it’s highly compelling.

Propelling I, Tonya is a glorious tour de force by Margot Robbie — clearly the best female performance of the year. Allison Janney as her mother is utter perfection as well. Both should be winning Oscars on March 4th — but sadly won’t.

With the Winter Olympics next month, the timing could not be better. You’ll definitely come away with an understanding of the tricky triple axel that you didn’t have before. And one final note: make sure to stay for the end credits.

The Shape of Water is too laggy and too pat to knock anything out of the park. Still, it’s poetic and beautiful, often, especially in the early going, with the look and feel of a classic French film. The City of Lost Children comes to mind. And Sally Hawkins is great.

What we have here is a failure to communicate… no, that’s not the failure. The failure is unfulfilled promise — so much is here except an original-enough story. 7/10